Why do earthquakes happen? And how do we stay safe?
Here’s a brief explainer on how earthquakes begin, the worst quakes in California history and how to stay safe if one hits your town.
This story has been updated with new information.
Two nearly identical earthquakes that occurred seconds apart were recorded by the US Geological Survey near Cabazon late Monday morning.
Earthquake felt in Palm Springs — where was it located?
The agency reported that both earthquakes were centered about 3.1 miles north of Cabazon. The agency reported the first occurred at 11:28 a.m. and had a magnitude of 3 on the richter scale and a depth of 6.71 miles.
The second was measured about 34 seconds later and had a magnitude of 3.1 and a depth of 6.96 miles. Those numbers represented slight revisions of initial data provided by the agency, which is published in the moments after earthquakes are recorded and frequently revised by the agency when more data becomes available.
Earthquakes with that magnitude typically can be felt but are unlikely to cause damage with the vibration said to be comparable to that of a passing truck.
Steven Sobieszczyk, a public affairs specialist for the US Geological Survey, confirmed there were two separate earthquakes. He explained that the first smaller one, known as a foreshock, in essence set the stage for the second one, known as a mainshock, to occur.
